PGA Targets: CIMB Classic

At just about the halfway point of the NFL season, and with the NBA tipping off this week, it’s easy to overlook the PGA. But a bunch of the top pros in the world aren’t, as they’re showing up to compete at the CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur. Here are a few golfers to consider for your lineups at every price range.

High Priced

Patrick Reed ($10,100) – I like the fact that Moore spent last weekend playing the Hong Kong Open, eliminating a lot of travel prior to this one, and getting himself adjusted to playing golf with a twelve hour time difference. And the fact that he finished T3 with a 68-69-65-67 doesn’t hurt my confidence level either.

Ryan Moore ($9,900) – This tournament has been played on this course two times, and Moore won both of them. He did it both times by leading in holes under par, even while also carding his fair share of bogeys, which tells me there are plenty of strokes to be made here.

Anirban Lahiri ($9,800) – A top player on the Asian Tour, Lahiri should be plenty comfortable playing this course, as the Kuala Lumpur CC actually also hosts the Maybank Malaysian Open, an early-spring event co-sponsored by the Asian and European Tours. Lahiri has been on fire playing on the other side of the world lately, carding four top-10 finishes and a T16 in his last five events.

Danny Lee ($9,200) – He finished inside the top-15 here last year, and that was one of his best performances for a while, until he picked it up in a big way as the 14-15 season came to a close. He ended the year with five top-ten performances in his last ten tournaments, including a T2 at the Tour Championship at East Lake.

Mid-Priced

Gary Woodland ($8,700) – Remember a minute ago when I said that Ryan Moore won both of the two times this tournament has been played on this course? Well, both times he beat Gary Woodland. I mean, and a bunch of other guys too… but you know what I mean. Woodland has two solo 2nd place finishes here, one in a playoff, and both on the backs of -14 performances. If he he makes the cut and shoots -10 or better it doesn’t matter if that score is good for a 2nd or a 15th, he will have returned value at this price.

Scott Piercy ($8,400) – He has still only missed one cut since last July after a T25 showing last weekend at the Shriners. He has been playing very consistent golf, without a ton of par-breakers, but also really limiting his bogeys. I really like Piercy in a cash game lineup this weekend, even if he doesn’t hole enough birdies to make a serious run at a W.

Cameron Tringale ($8,000) – We have seen Tringale have some hot streaks before, and it is not surprising that right now, they are coming for him at periods in the season when maybe the competition isn’t quite as fierce. All of these guys are phenomenal golfers, Tringale included, but as any hack out there on the course knows, when your confidence is up, your game is always more locked in. If Tringale likes his chances of competing better against these early-season fields, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and he might actually play better on the real-life course (and your fake-life fantasy rosters).

Brendon de Jonge ($7,900) – He finished T13 last weekend, despite a 73 on Saturday. He didn’t shoot higher than 67 any other day, which you can only do if you’re firing away at the pin with regularity. Nineteen birdies and eight bogeys later, he was pushing for 90 fantasy points, a best-case scenario type situation for anyone finishing outside the top 10 or so.

Low Priced

Daniel Summerhays ($7,800) – He had a T16 last week, good for his 5th time inside the the top 20 in just his last nine events. Part of the allure of players like him is the price, but with the price comes risk. That’s just the way it works. But, as much as he IS, historically, risky, the tradeoff works both ways. You can afford to get a guy like Summerhays in your lineup at this price, and compared to others in this range, the experience and recent success each mean you are getting a candidate for more upside than you’ll find elsewhere for less money.

Russell Knox ($7,500) – Russell Knox closed out the 14-15 season well, coming through with a series of good performances in the three playoff events in which he played. He only finished T38 last weekend, but the 66 he fired on Sunday was impressive. If he can make shots at that rate once or twice over this upcoming weekend, $7,500 will have been a bargain.

Rory Sabbatini ($7,100) – He finished 8th here last year, and he played a solid tournament last week at TPC Summerlin, two things that, combined, add up to confidence when you’re looking at options in this price range. He bookended last weekend’s effort with rounds of 66 on Thursday and Sunday en route to a T25 finish that was good for 88 fantasy points (21 total holes under par).

Andrew Dodt ($6,600) – If you want a bunch of top options on your team, occasionally you will need someone like Dodt to come through for you. A native Australian, he has spent time on both the European and Asian Tours. He finished T18 at the Hong Kong Open last weekend, closing out with a 66 on Sunday.